By The Light of The Halloween Moon
by TwilightCakes
Summary: Katniss is reluctant to let her friends drag her out to a house party on Halloween. She prefers to spend her nights studying in the library to keep her college scholarship. When she meets a mysterious masked super hero, she finds herself wishing she hadn't spent so many nights lost in the library. Is it the full moon or just the pull of a sexy masked stranger? She's not sure.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Katniss is reluctant to let her friends drag her out to a house party on Halloween. She prefers to spend her nights studying in the library to keep her college scholarship. When she meets a mysterious masked super hero, she finds herself wishing she hadn't spent so many nights lost in the library. Is it the full moon or just the pull of a sexy masked stranger? She's not sure.**

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**Chapter 1: Full Moon**

**(Katniss POV)**

"For a girl that's supposedly not afraid of anything, you sure are afraid of a little mascara."

Katniss glared at her roommate before warily eying the mascara wand in her hand. Delly was a whiz with mascara and _any _type of makeup really, but that didn't make Katniss feel any better about what she was doing.

Her other roommate Madge gave her a sympathetic look from across the room. She was painting on her dark eye makeup to go under her Cat woman mask. They were going out for Halloween that year and had been invited to a costume party. Katniss couldn't believe she had agreed to let her roommates drag her, but it was a little late to chicken out now.

"You're usually the one helping me talk her out of these situations," Katniss grumbled at Madge, shooting her a dark look.

Delly smacked her arm and made her wince. "Oh _STAHP _it!" she laughed. "This isn't a bank robbery Katniss, stop saying words like _'situation'_ and '_hostage_'. We're dragging you to a Halloween party. We're in college and we deserve to have some fun, and that means you. No more being a sour puss and staying inside on such a major holiday."

Katniss frowned. "Delly, I don't think Halloween is considered a major holiday."

Her blonde roommate sniffed and leaned forward with the mascara wand again. "Well it certainly should be. Why are you freaked, anyway? We'll go, we'll flirt with some boys, do some shots, play a little beer pong , and maybe go for some late night pizza. It's not quite the crisis situation you've imagined in your mind, I'm sure. Now stop fidgeting, it's already nine o'clock. We told the boys we'd be there by now!"

Katniss grumbled to herself and tried her best to sit still as her friend and roommate finished her makeup. The Halloween party they were attending that night had one rule only: attendees had to wear masks or face paint. Delly was applying some eyeliner and mascara as a finishing touch before she put on her black eye mask.

"I'm excited! A party where everyone has to cover their face? That's so great! Katniss, come on…get excited!"

Katniss smirked as Delly painted the black eyeliner around her eyes. "If I got excited every time you wanted me to, I would have run out of excitement on move-in day this year," she snorted. She winced as Delly smacked her arm again before continuing her work.

Madge walked over in her completed costume, looking every bit superhero as she sat next to her on the couch. "You know it's a full moon tonight."

"And?"

Her friend giggled. "Full moons make people do crazy things. Maybe that means you'll actually have _fun _tonight. Let loose."

Katniss rolled her eyes. Madge was usually the _sensible_ one in the group that helped her talk Delly out of her silliness. Madge had been randomly assigned to be Katniss' roommate freshman year in college and the two had been friends ever since. Madge had also been trying to drag Katniss out of her shell ever since. Now as seniors in college, they lived with their other friends Delly and Annie in an apartment just off campus. Katniss' best friend from home, Gale, also went to their school. He had met Madge and the two had been smitten the first week of college. It had taken him until the middle of Junior year to actually ask her out on a real date, but now at the beginning of senior year, they were officially an item and happier than ever. And Katniss was glad – her two best friends complimented each other perfectly. Gale had gotten a house near campus that year and was throwing a huge Halloween party to celebrate.

"I do…let loose. Sometimes," she said awkwardly.

Even Katniss knew that was a lie. She had worked hard all through high school to get good grades so that she could afford to go to school. Her college scholarships only held fast if she maintained a certain GPA, so she didn't go out much. Or ever. She simply didn't have the time to risk getting caught up in a partying lifestyle or with boys. Her roommates normally didn't bother her about her hermit-like, studious ways, but tonight they were making an exception. They were determined to drag her out if it was the last thing they did. She had agreed the week before to let them dress her up, and now she was regretting it as she sat on the couch in Delly's costume from last year.

Delly grabbed her shoulders after snapping on the black mask that covered her nose and eyes. "Listen. You work hard. You deserve one night to play. Maybe even talk to some guys?"

"I don't-"

"-No, just_ listen_. You look _amazin_g. Apparently studying nonstop does a body good. You rock this costume way better than I did last year," she admitted.

Katniss glanced down at herself in the Black Widow costume she wore. She did have to admit that she liked the Avengers movies, so when Delly had presented that as one of her options for a costume she had willingly agreed to don the badass outfit. They had added a simple black mask to cover her eyes to adhere to the party's rules and now she was ready. Madge was dressed as Cat Woman to match Gale's Batman costume; Delly was a peacock, and their other roommate Annie was dressed as a princess.

Katniss stood and went to the full length mirror at the end of the hall to admire herself. She didn't look half bad, and it certainly helped that she got to go as a character that she liked. The costume showed a bit more cleavage than she was used to, however; it didn't include a slutty skirt or hooker heels so she was happy. Delly's tiny black tutu she was wearing barely covered her ass as she pranced down the hallway of their campus apartment. If it was any other girl it would annoy her, but in Katniss' opinion, Delly was just being…well, _Delly_. Her curvy, sexually-vibrant friend and roommate was outgoing and friendly and liked by anyone she met. Her peacock costume fit her perfectly in Katniss' opinion. Giving herself one last look, she joined her roomates in the kitchen where they wre waiting for her.

She eyed the four shot glasses laid out on the tiny counter with a wary look. "What's that for?"

"To get us in a partying mood Katniss, what ever else?" Annie laughed.

Madge poured a generous shot of tequila in each one, handing each girl an apple wedge. Katniss held it up quizzically as she was handed her shot.

"We're in college. We don't have limes lying around," she said glumly. "I figured an apple was better than nothing."

"I don't need a shot," Katniss insisted. She made a habit of almost never drinking.

Annie grabbed her hand and shrugged. "If anything it will help us keep warm on the walk over. Just do it," she urged. Katniss reluctantly picked up a shot glass and held it up.

"Cheers to our last year in school. Let's make it a good one, eh?" Delly laughed.

"One…two…three!"

The burning liquid slid down her throat, coating her stomach warmly. She bit off a bite of green apple and cringed with her roommates as the two tastes collided on their tongues.

She had a feeling this would be a night she wouldn't soon forget.

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**I wanted to write a short little Halloween story in the spirit of the week : )**

**This will have about 5 chapters total; I'll be back later tonight with Chapter 2 in Peeta's POV. I'll be finishing this story up within the week; I just wanted something fun and different to work on for a few days. **

**Please review : )**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Superhero…Kinda**

**(Peeta's POV)**

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Peeta gleefully slid into his Captain America costume, pulling the blue mask over his eyes. He turned and admired his reflection in his bedroom mirror, unable to stop the dopey grin that graced his face. He hadn't gotten it perfect, but it was close. Captain America had been his favorite comic book character since he was a kid and he finally had the opportunity to dress up as his idol this year for Halloween. He and his roommates had decided to throw a costume party, so he figured _why not?_

He heard someone pounding on his bedroom door. "You about ready man?" Finnick asked, ducking his head in. Peeta groaned at the sight of his friend and roommate's costume. He was dressed in a white toga with a matching white mask, his tan, muscled chest sticking out. He had spray painted his shower flip flops gold along with a piece of a fake fern for his head piece.

"Do you like…_always_ have to be half naked?" Peeta chuckled.

"Nah man, it's Halloween though. If you can't dress like this tonight, then…when _can_ you?"

"I guess you're right. We are seniors, so it's our last holiday to dress like idiots and officially get away with it," Peeta replied.

"Good point. Anyway, grab your little shield and come downstairs. We gotta bring the kegs in."

Peeta laughed and grabbed his Captain American shield before following Finnick down the steps. He shared an off campus house with his friends Gale, Finnick, and Thom. He was a senior business major in college and he was looking forward to letting loose that night. Senior year had been keeping him way busier than he would have liked, so he was glad to have an excuse to not study or be at work. He had taken the day off from the bakery tomorrow so that he could party with his friends – a rarity.

As people began to filter into their house, he let himself relax. He did a shot with Thom, a shot with Gale, and even took a drag off the bag of wine Finnick was carrying around as part of his costume. Peeta wasn't sure what a bag of wine had to do with anything, but didn't complain. He found Gale glancing out the window as more and more people arrived.

"Relax dude. We'll just keep people off the porch, the cops won't care. Most of the campus police will be patrolling the bars for underage drinkers tonight," he told Gale.

Gale shook his head. "Nah, just waiting for Madge. She said she was bringing her roommates tonight."

"Oh cool, I like Madge."

His friend smirked and closed the blinds again. "Me too. Hey, maybe she even brought a friend for you."

Peeta shook his head. "Nah….I'm not into dating right now. Too much on my plate with school and work and all that."

"What about that Enobaria chick I set you up with last month? She was hot," Gale asked. "She's a brunette."

Peeta regretted telling his friend that he preferred brunettes. He had dated over the years, sure. He had even had relationships; they were short and fleeting, but at least he had gotten out there. But no girl, brunette or not even came close to Katniss in his mind. He felt utterly idiotic for comparing every girl in his life to a girl he hadn't even _talked_ to.

Gale only laughed as the house music got cranked up another notch. The lights went down as well, giving their house an eerie glow. They had invested in several strobe lights, a few strands of orange Christmas lights, and a crapload of fake cobwebs. Their jungle juice mixture (Vodka, orange juice and Kool-Aid) had even been made with grape flavored drink this time instead of red to make it more festive. They were pretty pleased with the way the house had turned out and as more and more people showed up, Peeta began to have fun. He was normally a quiet person, but he found that even something as wearing silly costume and a blue mask made it easier to let loose and talk more than he normally would. Or maybe that was the alcohol. Either way, he was having a blast.

He was standing in the front room with Gale and his friend Thresh when Madge walked in with three other girls in tow. Gale greeted his girlfriend with a kiss, eying her companions. Peeta saw Madge's friend Delly, a quiet girl he didn't know, and…

He gasped, grateful that the music was so loud and no one could hear him. It was _her._

It was the girl he had been crushing on for four years. Katniss Everdeen. It had to be her. Of course it was difficult to tell at first; her long, dark brown hair was down around her shoulders instead of in a braid; her eyes were blacked with makeup and half of her face was covered in a black mask. But somehow, Peeta just knew it was her. After all, he had been staring at the back of her head for almost three years now. The quiet girl with the braid had been in a few of his business classes over the years, but he had never managed to work up the courage to talk to her. She was currently in one of his economics lectures, but there were so many people in that class he almost never ran into her.

Not that it would change anything.

Peeta was shy – painfully shy when it came to girls he had crushes on. Which wasn't many – after he and his high school girlfriend had broken up¸ he hadn't had much luck with girls ever since. Not that it was an issue; he was so busy with school and work that he rarely had time to worry about it. Until lately. It was senior year and his time was running out to talk to Katniss.

"Oh! Hey Peet, didn't see you standing there. Girls, this is one of my roommates, P-er, Captain America!" Gale snorted at his own humor and slapped Peeta on the back. "He'll get you some cups."

Peeta fumbled with the plastic bag of red cups in his hand for a second before handing each of the girls a red Solo cup. When his hand brushed against hers, he looked up and so did she.

_This is it, _he thought. _Now or never. Just say something. Anything. _

He gulped and said the first thing that popped into his mind.

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**Hey guys! Sorry I didn't get this up last night - totally passed out early. I'm still getting over bronchitis, so bear with me. Love all the reviews and favs! Thank you so much! More tonight lovlies!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Cinderella Feeling**

**(Katniss POV)**

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Katniss took a deep breath as they walked up the steps of Gale's house. Music was booming, strobe lights were flashing from inside, and already about a dozen people were hanging on the porch railing as they smoked and talked loudly. The overall scene was a bit overwhelming to her at first. She wasn't used to this; this wasn't her scene. She was normally curled up in her bed by now with a bottle of water and her latest required reading for Monday morning's class. A nervous bubble formed in her stomach and almost made her trip as they made their way up the steps.

She didn't do parties for a reason.

A guy in a pirate costume leered over the railing at them, yelling something vulgar. Delly just laughed it off and yanked her friends up the rest of the steps.

"Oh God, I am _not _drunk enough for this," she muttered to herself. Before she could overthink it, Katniss stopped her on the porch and stuck her hand down the front of Delly's costume. Delly let out a yip of surprise but didn't protest as Katniss pulled the flask out of her friend's cleavage and took a long drag. She downed half the bottle before sputtering miserably.

"Eww, sick Delly! What is that? That's disgusting," she coughed, handing it back.

Delly shrugged. "It's peach schnapps. What if the house drink isn't sweet enough?"

Madge led them inside, weaving through the people until they came to Gale. He greeted Madge with a kiss that made Katniss squirm a little and ushered them further inside as he rambled about all the decorating he and his roommates had done. Katniss ignored him until they stopped near the kitchen.

"Oh! Hey Peet, didn't see you standing there. Girls, this is one of my roommates, P-er, _Captain America_!" Gale laughed. "He'll get you some cups."

Katniss only half paid attention as the boy in front of her dressed as Captain America fumbled clumsily with a sleeve of red Solo cups before handing each girl one. But when his fingers brushed hers….she turned in surprise as a small, pleasant burst of something shot up her arm. Her eyes met his and she felt a flutter of something she hadn't felt in a long time. In fact, it took her several seconds to register what the feeling even _was_ because it was so foreign to her.

It was excitement.

She blinked a second and accepted the cup, her eyes glued to his. She knew those eyes from somewhere. Then, it hit her.

It was_ him_. The guy who watched her walk to her seat every day in Econ. The guy she passed in the halls in the Business building every Thursday morning. _This was Gale's roommate_? She had several classes with him over the years and knew _exactly_ who he was. He was Peeta Mellark. She looked away quickly, grateful it was so dark inside the crowded room. She was sure her cheeks were bright pink by now.

He looked at her strangely, a slightly perplexed expression on his face. Her friends were already talking and laughing but she was simply standing there with Peeta, not saying a word. Finally, he shrugged and mumbled something in her direction that she missed completely due to the noise in the small house.

"What?" she yelled over the loud music.

He looked temporarily frustrated before leaning closer to her. "I said, '_Avengers Assemble!_'" he laughed.

She gave him a quizzical look until he motioned to her costume. He winced slightly as if he realized he had just said something incredibly dorky. "Oh," she said finally, realizing what he meant: Her costume and his were from the same movie and comic book series. She nodded and gave him a small smile, not sure what else to do. It was almost too loud to talk a lot; not that she would know what to say to him. He was the attractive boy that always sat with a group of friends and volunteered in any classes they had together. She peered through her mask at him, grateful for the small amount of cover it gave her. He watched her back as Gale motioned for them to move towards the keg. She followed her friends, her excitement only growing when she realized _he _was following them. However, she tried not to get too excited. He probably just wanted to hit on Delly or Annie.

They made it to the kitchen where Gale helped them fill up their cups. He and Madge posed for several pictures together in their coordinating outfits, laughing and smiling. Katniss was happy for Gale and Madge; they were both two of her best friends and genuinely cared for each other. She was glad they had finally worked up the nerve to date and be more than just nervous, bumbling friends.

"Hey! We need a picture of the Black Widow and Captain America!" Delly laughed, holding up her phone. Katniss balked for a second before Peeta threw his arm around her shoulders. She barely had time to muster up a tiny smile before the camera flashed and they were having their picture taken.

Peeta turned to her, smiling brightly beneath his blue mask. His costume didn't match Captain America's completely; he donned a simple blue mask instead of the full head cover the real Captain America wore. His blonde, unruly curls were still an unruly mess atop his head, but she didn't mind. His curly hair was one of her favorite things about him.

"So you've met my roommate uh…the Captain," Gale laughed. "My other roommate is around here somewhere and oh! Finn!"

He pulled on the toga of a bronze haired boy behind him, making him turn around. His eyes fell to Annie and he flashed her a bright smile.

"Hey Hawthorne, I say we start a game of mixed doubles beer pong."

"Sounds good," Gale agreed. "Basement?"

"Yeah, great. Now I just need a partner. Hey Princess, you game?" he asked Annie. She gave him a nervous smile but nodded. They moved away to play beer pong in the basement and soon Katniss was standing there alone with Peeta and Delly who was already looking around the room.

"Hey, will you be alright for a second? I'm gonna go see if I can rustle up something a little stronger than beer if you know what I mean," she giggled, slinking away. Katniss groaned internally. The absolutely _last_ thing she wanted right then was to be trapped alone with the cute boy from class, but she hadn't been left any other option. She sighed as Peeta handed her a full cup of beer and nervously sipped his own.

"So um…you a big fan of the comic, or?"

"Um…what?"

Peeta motioned to her costume_. She had forgotten all about the costume!_ She remembered she was wearing a mask. Strangely, it gave her a newfound sense of confidence. He had no idea who she was after all, and she had always wanted to talk to him. What better chance than now? She wouldn't be going out again anytime soon, so the chances of seeing him again were slim to none. It was also apparent to her that she would never be dressed like the Black Widow again. If he didn't know who she was, then what was the harm in talking to him? She felt like Cinderella with one night to party it up before returning to her bubble of work and studying. She might as well live it up and take a chance.

"Come on," she said suddenly, reaching down to grab his hand. Her fingers linked with his, making another burst of warm excitement shoot up her arm. "Let's go out on the porch."

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**Positive thoughts go to the friends and readers on the East Coast right now! Bear down guys and best of luck!**

**Glad you guys are enjoying my little Halloween fic! Thanks for all the love! : ) Makes me so happy. Katniss is taking things into her own hands! Even though they know who the other is, sometimes a costume helps you gain some much needed confidence...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Cheesy, Corny Trainwreck**

**(Peeta's POV)**

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Peeta gripped his cup of beer in one hand and Katniss' hand with his other as she dragged him through the mass of people to the front porch. The excitement he felt at finally talking and _touching _her was almost too much. He finally had his chance. He couldn't screw this up.

"Wait," he said suddenly, pulling back on her hand. She turned and gave him a quizzical look. "The back porch will be less crowded."

She paused a moment before nodding and following him back towards the kitchen. He wove through the people, this time leading her instead of vice versa as they made their way onto the small back porch off the kitchen. They could still hear the music booming from inside the house and a few drunk people were moving through the alley beside them, but it was better than nothing. He shut the back door with a hard slam and turned back to face her. She was leaning on the railing, sipping her beer contemplatively as he took a nervous sip of his own. _This was it,_ he thought. He was finally alone with the girl with the braid. He had fantasized about this moment many times during class; _he would kiss her soft pink lips, winding his hands in her hair after pulling out the hair fastener. She would moan and arch against him, begging him to_-well, that was usually where it stopped. For as much as Katniss Everdeen enthralled him, she just didn't seem like the type to throw herself at a guy. Especially _not him_.

"Good party," he said awkwardly, trying to forget about his stupid, boyish day dreams. The dim, dirty light of the porch gave her hair a reddish sheen, much like the one the Black Widow had. He smiled sheepishly as he thought about his first words to her. "Sorry for the lame pickup line earlier. I'm a Marvel loving geek, what can I say?"

She took another sip of her beer and nodded enthusiastically. "No, Gal-erm, one of my guy friends used to read the comics a lot as a kid. He used to make me watch all those cartoons growing up. Um...the movies are really good though, I like them."

He remembered that they had just introduced themselves as Black Widow and Captain America – no real names. The idea gave him a sort of confidence that he usually only felt with girls that were strictly friends. He had no problem rambling on to those friends, but it was girls he actually _liked_ that he had the most trouble with. He grinned through his blue mask, bobbing his head. So she was hot _and_ she likes Marvel movies. _Not bad_. "Yeah, I uh…figured this was my last chance to dress up as my boyhood idol, so…"

"Really?"

"Well…senior year and all. I doubt it's socially acceptable for a guy my age to go trick or treating next year. I would do it if I could get away with it, but…like I said, this is probably the last time I can dress up and get away with it while looking half sane."

Katniss laughed. "Yeah…I figured tonight is one of the last chances for me to do a lot of things," she added shyly, smiling down at the deck. Her eyes slowly flicked upwards as if she was unsure how he would take her words. She took another gulp of beer and shrugged.

_Was she…is she flirting with me?_ He asked himself incredulously. Deciding not to chance it, he gave her his best boyish smile.

"I agree. I mean…last Halloween, last chance to….dress up and be someone else. It's nice."

She nodded. "Can I make a confession?"

"Course."

"I actually _really_ like the chance to be someone else for a night. I borrowed this costume from a friend, but….I'm glad I did," she added quietly.

He gulped, his tongue sticking to the top of his mouth as he fumbled for the perfect, flirtatious phrase. "Well….a lot of people don't know this, but Black Widow and Captain America actually liked each other for a while in the comics," he added hopefully. It was a lame attempt at flirting, but he was suddenly at a loss. He took another long gulp of beer to help him relax.

Katniss smiled and shook her head. "I actually did know that, yeah," she laughed softly, taking another sip of her drink. Peeta shrugged and gave her another nervous smile. It was obvious they were both chugging their beers in an attempt to loosen up, not that he minded. The flood of beer was actually helping him relax slightly.

"I think those characters had it right," he added lamely. "You look amazing."

Katniss looked up in surprise. "I do?"

He nodded. "You have this kinda dark but sexy thing going. Maybe kinda dangerous."

"Wow, and I thought my friends were just telling me that to get me out of the house," she laughed.

"You don't go out much?"

She shrugged, toying with the rim of her Solo cup. "No, I um…I'm usually too busy out fighting Russian thugs and all that," she laughed. "You know, just doing what I do."

He nodded, playing along. "Oh, me too. Not the Russian thugs thing, just the….I go…fight crimes too," he stammered, shrugging slightly.

Katniss eyed him curiously from behind her black mask. "Captain America has that …boyish charm to him," she coughed. _"_I bet girls like…erm, me would like that."

"Yeah? Someone as mysterious and sexy as the Black Widow?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. Katniss sipped her drink and nodded, tilting her head to the side. Peeta knew this was getting cheesy and corny and all sorts of fucked up, but he didn't care. Katniss Everdeen was flirting with him, so he would play along.

"They seem to….connect," she laughed, chewing her lip.

Peeta inched closer to her, the porch creaking beneath his feet. "I think they do too."

Katniss watched him inch closer, her grey eyes slightly dilated in the dim light. Or it could have been the Keystone buzz she surely had by now as well. He was right in the middle of contemplating it when she suddenly leaned forward to firmly press her lips against his. He let out a slightly muffled noise of surprise as she grabbed his hair and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Her mouth moved against his shocked and unresponsive one, her tongue swiping against his lower lip. She tasted surprisingly sweet for swigging cheap beer for the last half an hour, but he tried not to dwell on that too much.

Instead, he finally got himself together and kissed her _back_.

Katniss was an aggressive kisser, not that he minded. He also didn't mind it when she pushed him up against the back of the house, either. His hands found her hips in the sleek black bodysuit and brought her closer, his mouth fused to hers. Her tongue sought entrance into his mouth, and went along with it after getting over his surprise. He let out a groan of approval as she playfully bit his lower lip between her teeth. Peeta let his head fall back against the vibrating house as Katniss lightly stroked his tongue with hers. The kiss was _hot. _His fantasies were way off – she was better than he could have ever dreamed. She was so different than he had imagined; he had pictured a shy, unsure girl that would take a lot of coaxing and pleading. At least that was how she was in his fantasies. But this girl was different. She knew what she wanted, and it was him.

He happily obliged.

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**Hang on East Coasters! I've been thinking about you all today : *(**

**I'm a review reply fail so far on this story. So sorry guys - please know that I read and love every single one, I'm just not getting over this sickness as fast as I would like to. I was up at 5am today I was coughing so hard! Ulgh!**

**But I love my readers and hope you have at least had some lovely Halloween Candy. And for those of you who don't celebrate the holiday in your part of the world, well...go out and get some candy tomorrow!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Reckless**

**(Katniss POV)**

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Katniss wasn't sure what possessed her to just lean over and kiss him.

Maybe it was the tequila, maybe it was the costume, or maybe it was the way he had been talking about last chances.

Or maybe it was because it was Peeta Mellark and he was just really _cute._

Either way, she didn't regret kissing him on the dimly lit back porch.

And he was a really_ good_ kisser.

She pressed him further against the back of the house, her costume and mask making her feel so empowered that it was almost dizzying. It was like she didn't care and didn't ever _have_ to.

They broke apart breathless, sharing nervous smiles in the dim light. She couldn't believe she had thrown herself at him like that, but she didn't exactly regret it. After all, if she was going to give herself one night to party and go crazy before she graduated, she wanted to live it up as much as she could. Who better to do it with than her secret crush?

Peeta politely took her cup inside to refill it, giving her a boyish smile through his blue mask when he returned to the porch overlooking the alley. She secretly found his costume very cute and endearing and perfect for his personality, or what little she knew of it anyway. She almost felt a little guilty attacking him like that and barely knowing him. But, that would make it easier for this to only be a casual fling.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked hopefully, handing her the cup. She took another sip of her drink and tried to remember that he couldn't see her blush.

"Yeah, I am actually. I never allow myself to go out and have any fun, so…"

Peeta nodded, stepping a little closer to her. She felt herself tense slightly as her body registered the closeness of him. "Well maybe you should sometimes. Never know what you could be missing."

Katniss laughed. "I know, I uhm…that's what I was thinking when I attacked you a few minutes ago. I guess I went a little crazy. Sorry about that, by the way."

He only shrugged and gave her another cute smile. "I'd be lying if I told you I minded. I mean…Captain America and the Black Widow look great together, or at least I think so. We get to be them for the night, so…"

She shook her head at his cheesy attempt to be cute, silently chastising herself for totally buying it up. Peeta Mellark in a Captain America costume was far more appealing to her than she would care to admit. "You're cute," she laughed.

Peeta tilted his head and puffed out his blue and red-clad chest slightly. "Cute enough to let me kiss you again?"

Katniss glanced up at him and smiled shyly again, nodding. Peeta only paused for a second before leaning in and pressing his lips against hers, softly this time. Their lips moved together slowly, the fire steadily building between them. Katniss had kissed boys before, but this was different. Something stirred inside of her when he moved his hands to her cheeks and deepened their kiss. Her knees felt a little wobbly and she felt a slow burn start in her belly that made her want more.

A _lot_ more.

He had said it himself: this might be their last chance to do something wild and crazy.

She's never even done _one_ thing.

She felt entitled to do what she was about to do.

_You're only young once, right?_

Her heart was thundering in her ears as the pulled away slightly do whisper in his ear. "Can we go somewhere?"

Peeta's eyes went a little wide, but he nodded and gave her a pointed look. "You really want to? We can…g-go to my room, but-"

She pressed her fingertip over his pouty lips and nodded. "You said it yourself: last chance."

That was all he needed. He grabbed her hand and led her back inside, leaving their cups of beer on the porch railing. Her stomach did another nervous flip as he led her through the loud, dancing mass of people in costumes. A feeling of embarrassment washed over her as she was seen going to a room with a boy, but she reminded herself that no one knew who she was anyway. _Maybe the key to having fun is wearing a mask, _she thought with a smile. He moved quickly down the hall and up the stairs near the door. She was relieved to see that it was both dark and uncrowded in the upstairs hallway. She watched as he produced a key from beneath his belt and unlocked his bedroom door to lead her inside. His hand was moving for the light switch when she caught it.

"No lights."

Peeta seemed to understand that she wanted to keep up the mysterious charade. He seemed hesitant, but also willing as he led her to his bed. She could see the outline of him in his ridiculous costume as they sat on the soft comforter, and she had to laugh as she felt both of their hands shaking slightly.

"You're sure?" he babbled. "I…I don't want you to think I do this a lot, I mean…"

He trailed off, shaking his head. Katniss laughed, scooting closer to him on the bed. "Just stop. It's okay. Neither do I. But all that talk about this being our senior year and last chances and all that, well…I just figured that it was kinda now or never. I've never…_ever _done anything like this either but….it feels little…naughty, I guess, but it doesn't feel completely wrong."

He nodded. "I…I…you said it perfectly. I agree," he laughed nervously. "Soo…."

She shook her head and took her hand. "It's okay, _Captain,_" she laughed. He chuckled with her until she pressed her lips against his for the third time that night. He responded immediately this time, his nerves seeming to melt away with hers. As nerve wracking as it was to be in the dark room of a boy she barely knew, it was also exciting_. 'Reckless'_ wasn't a term she would use to describe herself, but she felt that she owed herself one experience that could be described that way in her college career.

She broke away from his kisses long enough to whisper, "Take everything off of me but the mask."

For the second time that night, Peeta happily obliged.

* * *

**I read my reviews at my desk today and just knew I had to put this up for you all tonight. I'm done handing out candy and worn out, but I know how much you guys are loving this! I love writing it. More tomorrow and have a Happy Halloween!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Last Chance**

**(Peeta's POV)**

* * *

Peeta squeezed his eyes closed and tried his best not to look down as his hips moved against hers. The only noise in the dark bedroom was the sound of their heavy breathing and the music from downstairs. The feeling of sliding in and out of her warm, soft body was almost more than he could handle. To add to his troubles, the black mask covering her grey eyes only made her about a hundred times sexier than she was every other day that he had drooled over her, so that wasn't helping matters. He was finally with Katniss Everdeen, the girl he had been crushing on _for years! He had to make this last._

Before he could finish the thought, Katniss exhaled against his neck, brushing her lips against his throat as she lazily kissed it. He felt the blood start to pound frantically against his skin where her hot lips had just been and he felt his abdomen grow tight. He felt like a coil, ready to spring.

This wasn't going to last long.

_No! Think of anything! Anything! Finding Finnick's used condoms in the bottom of the trash can. That time Gale stepped in dog crap in the front yard. Skinning your knee at intermural soccer. That time you broke your finger!_

Peeta winced at the memories flooding his mind as he slowed his movements and tried to relax. Katniss' nails dug into his lower back as her walls began to tighten around his member. If he actually got her to orgasm from sex their first and possibly only time, he knew he could die a happy man.

Things had progressed quickly after they sat down on his bed. Their kissing had gotten frantic as they tried to undress and not break their connection. By the time they were both naked and Peeta was fumbling with a condom he had been ready to burst. The excitement was more than he could handle along with her palpable eagerness mixed in with it. He could still hardly believe his luck. She had wanted him and she had wanted him _badly. _

"Oh my _God_," she suddenly gasped in his ear. "Slower…oh…right…_there_…"

He forced his eyes open and watched with complete shock as Katniss arched her back and trembled beneath him, her nails digging further into his back. He was sure he would have marks there in the morning, but he knew he wouldn't mind. His eyes strained in the dim light to watch as she tumbled over the edge and gasped rapidly against his pillow. He hoped it smelled like her in the morning.

He would have liked to go for two, but the idea of what they were doing finally caught up to him. Katniss moaned in her adorably hoarse voice as his movements sped up as his own orgasm caught up with him. His hand gripped her hip as he came, his fingers slipping slightly on her sweaty body. Katniss didn't seem to mind though; her legs found their way around his waist and her feet dug into his ass as he finished.

After rolling off to the side, he listened to the booming music below as the party raged on. He sat up quickly and cleaned himself up, tossing the condom into the wastebasket by his bed. There hadn't been one of _those _in there for quite a while. He lay back down beside her, but not before pulling a throw from the bottom of his bed up and over their bodies. Katniss sighed gratefully, her breathing still a little labored.

"Wow," she laughed, lifting her mask slightly to wipe the sweat away. She replaced it quickly as if he could see her features in the darkness of his bedroom. He did the same, laughing nervously.

"Yeah."

There was a pregnant pause in the air before she spoke again, her words tumbling out of her mouth. "I can't believe I did that."

"Did what?" he asked, rolling onto his side. He let his arm rest on her stomach beneath the blanket, lightly stroking her side with his thumb.

"Um…that."

"It was fun though…right?" he asked hopefully.

She giggled to herself and nodded. "Yup."

"So…no regrets?"

She tilted her head to look at him before shaking it slowly. "No. No regrets. I…I wanted that. _You._ I wanted you."

He nodded. "I um…know the feeling," he chuckled. He lowered himself down to lightly kiss her temple. "Stay?"

"Here?"

"Yeah. Stay over. I'll make you pancakes in the morning."

Katniss laughed, her voice still hoarse. "Captain America making me pancakes after our midnight romp…hm…."

Peeta laughed, tightening his grip on her to pull her closer. "No…just stay here. I have a bathroom attached to my room that I don't share with anyone, I have some bottled water in my fridge by my desk…we wouldn't have to leave for the rest of the night. I can deadbolt my door and no one will even know we're up here. And like I said…pancakes in the morning."

Katniss sighed. "You paint a pretty picture, Captain."

Peeta paused. "So? Do you want to stay?"

She touched his hand on her stomach, winding her fingers in with his. "I don't think I can."

"If you don't want to-"

"-No, it's not that, I just…then we have to deal with tomorrow morning and….I should really just go."

Peeta felt his heart break a little. "Okay," he said slowly. "I…I don't want you to leave or for you to feel like you have to go, I just…yeah," he said slowly, his palm growing warm against her skin. She gripped his hand and sighed.

"I can stay a few minutes. But my friends will be looking for me. It isn't like me to…well, you know. Disappear."

"I know," he sighed, "I get it, I do."

She turned to look at him in the darkness. "I'm sorry. It's not you, I just…"

"It's okay," he assured her. "I get it."

He put his head down on the pillow next to hers, sighing as her legs wrapped around his. He could smell her sweet, flowery shampoo next to his face, and he inched closer to get a better whiff. He wanted to memorize it and store it away for when tonight was only a memory for him. She had made herself clear; she didn't ever do this and it was a once in a lifetime thing. He could accept that – at least he knew what it was like to be with her once, right? He felt his chest clench slightly as he felt her sigh and lean against him beneath the blanket.

Peeta wasn't sure how long they laid there together; it could have been five minutes, it could have been an hour. She eventually got up and got dressed again, pulling on her costume with ease.

"Are you coming back down?"

He shook his head from the bed. "Nah…I think I should call it a night," he said, sitting up. He motioned for her to come back over to the bed, and she did. She sat down on the mattress next to him and sighed.

"Thank you for tonight. I did have a good time," she admitted.

"I did to. And that's not the cheap beer talking."

Katniss laughed and placed a sweet, short kiss on his lips before standing and making her way over to the door. She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a tiny wave.

"Hey…"

"Yeah?"

"If you ever um…change your mind about those pancakes…you know where to find me, right?"

She laughed. "Yes, I do."

"If I have to wear a mask I will."

And then, she was gone.

* * *

**Oh Katniss, you little heartbreaker! One more installment folks - I'll try to have it up this weekend, along with an update of Cruel Summer. I'm finishing up the next update of Not In Our Favor and should have that off to the beta tomorrow as well. Sorry I've been very silent and MIA this week. **

**Work and getting over the sickness has been a bitch. But I love you all and appreciate all the love and well wishes you have sent my way! I'm just wayyyy behind on responding to everything. I know, I suck. I'm sorry. I'm doing the best I can though, and I love you all for your support : )**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Blind Hope**

**(Katniss Pov)**

* * *

She shuddered to herself as she miserably pulled her winter coat tighter around her body. The early December air was biting and frosty as the snow came down that morning, making her frown up at the sky. She was on her way to her Economics lecture, but that wasn't why she was in a bad mood.

Her Economics class was the class she had with Peeta.

It was held in a lecture hall and had almost five hundred people in the class, so she almost never spotted him in the large room. When she _did_ know his surroundings, she avoided them like the plague. After she had left that night, her friends had been having such a good, drunken time they had barely noticed her disappearance. They had gone home shortly after, the party becoming a fading memory within a few days. Madge and Delly had tried to get her to out again since then. Once they had even been invited over to Gale's house to watch Sunday football. Katniss had quickly declined, blaming studying and schoolwork for her absence. Her roommates were so used to her declining their invitations that they hadn't thought much about why she might be avoiding Gale's house. She had no idea whether or not Peeta knew who she really was; had he asked Gale? And worse, had Gale _told_ him? Her only hope was that Peeta had simply written it off as a drunken one night stand and hadn't mentioned it to anyone.

She took a seat in the back corner of the large, crescent shaped lecture hall and settled in as class started. She didn't see Peeta anywhere so she quickly put her nose in the textbook and started to read over the chapter. If he did happen to sit near her, the last thing she wanted to do was make eye contact with him.

Ever since that night, she had been wrapped in a bubble of embarrassment and disbelief. She didn't regret doing what she had done with Peeta; it was just that she couldn't believe she had allowed herself a one night stand. And then she had foolishly _left_. She had declined his invitation to spend the night and make something more of what had happened, and now she regretted it more than anything. More than once she had put on her coat and boots with the intention of walking over to his house and apologizing for leaving, but she hadn't been able to do it. She didn't need a boyfriend right now, or worse, a troubled relationship that would just distract her and take her mind off of school. Her scholarship and finishing college were the two most important things in her life besides Prim and she didn't have time to focus on that and risk putting the first two things in jeopardy.

She just couldn't.

So why had she spent so many sleepless nights tossing and turning and thinking of him?

The way his bed had smelled like fabric softener and _him_. The way his barely-there chin stubble had felt as he kissed his way down her neck. The way his strong hand had gripped her hip and pulled her close when…

She shifted in her seat, squirming at the thought of her night with Peeta. There had been many sleepless nights where she had been unable to think of anything but their steamy, Halloween romp. Her face grew a little warm as she thought of the way his curly hair hand hung over the top of the blue mask he had worn.

Her eyes flicked up as she chewed on the end of her pen and she immediately regretted it. Across the large lecture hall, Peeta froze as they made eye contact. She looked away quickly, shifting in her seat again and returning to her Econ text. The words began to blur together uselessly as she tried to focus, but she could still feel his eyes on her. When the lecture finally started, she couldn't have been more relieved.

The teacher stood in front with his microphone, his dull voice droning on and on until the two hours was finally over. They were all moving to leave when he announced that their final would actually be a group project. She groaned internally and waited for instructions. He was emailing out their group assignments later that day, and it would be up to them to meet up together and get the project done. When it was over, she had never been so happy to race back into the cold wind.

* * *

After classes were finished for the day, she checked her email and saw that someone in her group had already arranged a meeting at 9pm that night in the library to go over what their topic was. Exhausted, she fell onto her bed and settled in for a quick nap before dinner. She had tossed and turned all night the night before, so she fell right to sleep. She could hear her roommates out in the living room watching television and laughing. Delly's screech about something or other woke her up a short time later, and she glanced at the clock.

8:56.

She let her head fall back on the pillow with a grunt after realizing she had slept all the way through dinner.

_Wait…dinner! I was supposed to be at the library! Shit!_

"Shit shit shit," she groaned, throwing back the covers. Panic set in as she tried to wake up and get herself together. She quickly re-braided her messy hair and threw on a pair of comfortable sweats and a hoody before grabbing her backpack. Her roommates were all in the living room watching some ridiculous reality television show. They all looked up in surprise as she flew out of her room and reached for her snow boots.

"Group project…I'll be back late," she explained quickly, yanking them on her feet. She was sure she looked like a hot mess, but she didn't want to be late for their first meeting and get a bad rap so quickly. This was for the final, so she knew they had to do a good job on it. She currently had a solid 'B' in Econ, so she knew a strong final would push her into 'A' territory. Her GPA could certainly use another one of those.

The cold winter wind whipped around her face, making her sorry had forgotten her gloves on her desk at home. She jammed her hands into her pockets and trudged through the slushy, dirty snow that seemed to cover the campus. It had snowed a few days ago and had been so pretty, but after a few days it just looked like brown slop. Her house wasn't close to the library, so she was undoubtedly going to be late. She looked at her cheap watch and winced as she finally made her way through the library doors. She spied a few familiar looking kids from her class and sat down at the round table where they were sitting, their Econ books open. A girl she had exchanged notes with once looked up as she sat down.

"Sorry," she mumbled, already wanting to die. Being late was one of her own pet peeves, so she hated the fact that this time it was her.

"It's alright; we're just divvying up the work. Can you go with Peeta and check out the reference section? We're gonna need to compare…"

The guy's voice faded in her ears as she nodded, trying her best to act nonchalant. Katniss could feel her cheeks start to turn pink as she realized _he _was sitting across the table from her. She had been in such a hurry when she came in that she hadn't noticed it was him. She hoped he didn't realize it was her. After all of the work had been divided, she slowly stood up and angled herself towards the reference section of the large library. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Peeta stand and grab his backpack to follow her. The rest of the group split up to go research, leaving the two of them alone.

"I think it's this way," she mumbled as Peeta walked up beside her.

"Okay, great," he said brightly, falling into step beside her. The tension between them was palpable; or was it just her? She couldn't decide if it was just her body overreacting or her head.

_Just play it cool and he'll never put two and two together. I hope._

* * *

__**Sorry guys - 1 more chapter. I know I said I would be finishing this up. I just couldn't resist! No one minds one more chapter, right? ; )**

**Thank you all for the love and support! *muah*  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Truth**

**(Peeta's POV)**

* * *

He was pretty sure that when Katniss walked into the library his heart stopped beating.

Well, for a second at least.

He hadn't even bothered to look at all of the recipients of the email his classmate had sent out earlier that day. If he had, he would have known to expect to see Katniss Everdeen walking into the library twenty minutes late with bed head and in sweat pants.

But even then he wasn't sure if he would have done anything differently.

Of _course_ she was the Black Widow from Halloween; he knew it and she knew it. The truth was staring them both straight in the face and yet neither of them could do anything about it. When Gale had casually mentioned his friend Katniss had been at their party he had almost said something.

_Almost._

However, she had made it clear that their Halloween fling was a one night thing. He had been heartbroken when she had left that night. Sometimes when he was sitting on the living room couch he would look out onto the porch in hopes to see her coming up the steps. He pictured her knocking on his door and asking if she could have those pancakes now.

But she never did.

It had been over a month; finals for first semester would be starting soon and then they would be off for almost five weeks. After that, he wasn't sure what would happen. When their group leader asked him to go to the reference section to start looking for sources with her, he knew he had to do _something_.

She trudged through the aisles towards the area they needed to use, fiddling with the end of the sweatshirt she had pulled over her hands. Bits of snow in her hair had turned to droplets of water and he wanted to brush them away and touch the soft strands again. He wanted to stop her there and push her up against the stacks and kiss her as passionately as he had that night.

That night when he had a mask on and it had been allowed.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and kept walking beside her. Even a blind man would know it was her; the flowery scent of her shampoo was strengthened due to the damp snow melting against her braid, and it was the same scent that had lingered on his pillow for a few weeks after Halloween. He had finally caved and washed it to be hygienic, but he still wished it smelled like her.

"So….what did we decided to this project on?" she finally mumbled.

Peeta blanked for a second before spitting out the topic from the corners of his mind. "Estimating export demand and supply functions," he said finally. "Sounds great, huh?"

"I guess."

"We just picked it from a list of suggested topics," he admitted. "You didn't miss much."

"Oh, yeah," she said, pausing in the middle of the aisles. "Sorry about that, I was just…napping and overslept."

"Ah," he said awkwardly, mentally kicking himself. This was the point where he should have said something smooth and clever that swept her off her feet. Instead he just shoved his hands into his pockets and bit his lip.

_You're an idiot, Mellark, _he thought to himself.

Instead though, they went their separate ways and began hunting through the information and books. He peered through the book and spied her on the other side, her grey eyes scanning the spines of the books. He sighed. He had chickened out. Again.

The minutes ticked by until they turned into hours. Still, he found himself too nervously tongue tied to say a word to the girl who was only one stack over. He could hear her flipping through the pages as she searched for information on their project; she was so close. All he had to do was walk over to her and…and say what? _I know it was you at the party. Please talk to me; I think I might be in love with you. Oh and P.S., I still want to make you pancakes. _

He shook his head at himself as he flipped through another page. It was useless.

"Peeta?"

Her voice cut through his thoughts, making him jerk his head up. Katniss was standing at the end of the aisle, peering down at him. "It's after midnight…we should go see what the rest of the group is up to I think," she said softly.

"Oh, uh…yeah. Sure. Let me put these back," he said quietly as he stood. His legs ached from being crouched on the floor for so long, and he felt his cheeks turn slightly pink as he made his was over to her. She avoided his eyes, instead hauling a stack of books with her.

"Oh, let me get those," he said quickly, taking them from her arms. She looked like she was going to protest, but instead gave him a whisper of a smile.

"Thanks."

They returned to their group and parted ways. It was almost finals time at school, so the library was still fairly busy. They worked until almost one in the morning before people started dozing off at the table. By the time they called it a night, Peeta still battling with himself whether or not to say something to Katniss. He watched her stand from the table and brush her braid behind her back. She pulled her coat on and slung her heavy back pack over her shoulders before turning and trudging out of the library into the wintery evening. Peeta glanced around nervously, knowing that this was it. This was his chance. He stuffed his books in his bag and took off through the doors to follow her. The door she had left through led straight to the quad, and he knew he had to catch up with her quickly since he had no idea where she lived. Once outside he looked around frantically to find her in the dimly lit space in the middle of campus. There weren't many people out that time of night, so she wasn't difficult to spot.

"Katniss!" he called out, starting to run. He slid a few times in the still-falling snow, hurrying along the sidewalk towards her form. She paused her gait ahead of him and turned around with a confused look. Her face paled a little when she saw him run up to her.

"Katniss! Wait up," he panted, sliding to a halt in front of her.

"Peeta…did you forget something?"

He took a few raspy breaths of cold air as he tried to catch his breath. "Yeah…yes, I mean. I forgot something," he panted. Without pausing, he reached over and lightly grasped her face and planted a deep, longing kiss on her chilly lips. He expected her to take a swing at him or at least push him away, but she didn't.

She kissed him back.

He broke away slowly, carefully watching her face. Snowflakes fell on her cheeks only to melt seconds later as her bright grey eyes stared up at him. Peeta reached down and took her cold hands in his. "You didn't come back for those pancakes."

Katniss let out a shaky breath. "I know. I didn't know what to say."

He stepped closer to her as he gripped her hands, his breath coming out in puffs of white clouds. "I wanted you to come back and tell me that you wanted to see me again…and that you wanted pancakes, and…and that you wanted to stay. I…I wanted you to stay so badly that night but I just couldn't…."

"I know, I wanted to stay too but…I just couldn't. Please, I…."

"Why?"

"I can't afford to get involved with someone just to…just to lose them. I didn't want things to be messy-"

"Things between us wouldn't be messy though, don't you see?" He laughed. "I…I've watched you every day for almost four years now. When I got to finally talk to you and…and well, everything else I knew you were exactly what I wanted. What I _still_ want. Katniss, please."

She watched him with wide eyes. "You…you do?"

He nodded. "Just give me a chance. I can't not know what it's like to at least _try_ with you. Just one chance."

Katniss sighed, chewing her lip for a second before reaching up and brushing the snow from his hair. "I almost came back so many times to tell you the same thing."

"Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes," she laughed. "I want to try too, Peeta. I really do."

Peeta wasted no more time. He took Katniss in his arms and planted a deep, passionate kiss on her lips and tried to convey everything his words could not. When they broke apart, they both laughed for a second at their own sheer stubbornness and stupidity.

"Come to my house tonight. Please?" he begged. "I just want to hang out with you; nothing else."

She raised a dark eyebrow at him. "Really? Because tomorrow morning I'm definitely gonna want those pancakes."

He grinned and pulled her in for another kiss. "Deal."

**THE END**

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed my little short story! : )**


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